#BenedictArnold

[whencyclopedia]

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (10 May 1775) was a military operation that occurred early in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). A small colonial expedition jointly led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen surprised the British garrison of Fort Ticonderoga, seizing both the fort and its artillery. The Americans later used the captured cannons to win the Siege of Boston.

Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga sits at the southern end of Lake Champlain, near the modern-day border between New York State and Vermont. Its location was of critical significance for the colonial wars of the 18th century, as it guarded a major system of rivers and lakes that connected New York City to Quebec. This waterway – comprised of the Hudson River, Lake George, Lake Champlain, the Richelieu River, and the Saint Lawrence River – was a nearly unbroken chain of bodies of water with only a handful of portages that had long been utilized by the Native Americans for travel purposes. The colonial empires of Britain and France considered the passage to be the 'American jugular', the key to the continent; if the British controlled it, for instance, they could invade France's colony of Canada, while the French could use the waterway to attack the interior of Britain's Thirteen Colonies.

In 1755, the French constructed a large star-shaped fortress, named Fort Carillon, at the key juncture between Lake George and Lake Champlain. The ongoing French and Indian War (1754-1763) marked the climactic struggle between the two colonial powers for dominance of North America, and the British knew they had to capture Fort Carillon as a prerequisite for an invasion of Canada. In 1758, a British expedition of 16,000 regular and provincial troops set out to conquer the fort but was repulsed by 4,000 French defenders. The Battle of Carillon was the largest and bloodiest battle fought on North American soil until that point. It also gave the fort a reputation for impregnability, even though most of the fighting had taken place about a mile away from the fort itself. After the battle, the French reduced the fort's garrison to only 400 men, leaving it vulnerable to another British expedition of 11,000 men the following year. Realizing they had no chance against the large British force, the French garrison decided to abandon Carillon, but not before spiking the guns and destroying much of the fort with explosives.

The British captured the ruined fort and renamed it Ticonderoga, which was derived from an Iroquois word meaning "between two waters" or "where the waters meet" (history.com). The British spent the next several years working to rebuild and improve the fort. But at the end of the war in 1763, France ceded Canada to Britain, which negated Fort Ticonderoga's strategic importance because the New York – Canada water route was now entirely within British territory. The British, therefore, did not prioritize the fort's upkeep and, by 1775, it had fallen into a state of semi-disrepair, with the walls, bastions, and blockhouses in a dilapidated condition. It was garrisoned by a skeleton force of 2 officers and 48 men and was also the home of their families, which included 24 women and children. This garrison was much too small to defend the fort from attack but was deemed suitable to watch over it during peacetime. But in early 1775, the clouds of war were quickly gathering, and Ticonderoga was woefully unprepared for the storm.

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[joyfultunes]

Reading Adventures!

In October, I read four books:

From Pompeii by Ingrid Rowland

This book was four stars for me. I enjoyed it, except for one very long chapter full of some objectionable material. I do love history, and natural disasters are fascinating. I learned a lot in this book, and was interested to note all the famous people that visited Pompeii at one point or another.

Mendeleyev's Dream by Paul Strathern

Meh. This book was 3.5 stars for me. I felt the author had an obvious bias that was very annoying. The teaser at the beginning and then the long detour into the entire history of chemistry was unexpected and not entirely welcome. I did get some laughs out of it, though, with some funny quotes from famous chemists.

Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick

I loved this book. 5 stars. I almost always rate history books very highly, because I love history so much. This book follows Benedict Arnold during the early years of the Revolutionary War, and shows us his frustrations with Congress and his slow slide toward betrayal. I learned a lot. I didn't know much about him beyond his attempted betrayal of West Point. It was very amusing to learn that he was either dearly loved or bitterly hated, no in between.

The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming

4 stars. I liked this book a lot. I love to learn about codes and ciphers. This book follows five different young ladies and their roles during World War 2 in code breaking and intelligence. I did not know about this particular bit of history before, and I read practically the entire book in one sitting. This book is written for a younger audience, but that won't take away any enjoyment from older readers.

[whencyclopedfr]

John André

Le major John André (1750-1780) était un officier militaire britannique qui servit pendant la guerre d'Indépendance américaine (1775-1783). Il est surtout connu pour avoir négocié avec le renégat américain Benedict Arnold, qui proposait de lui céder la place forte de West Point. Le complot fut révélé lorsque André fut capturé derrière les lignes américaines, ce qui conduisit à son exécution en tant qu'espion.

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[dudja]

🫷🏻 no more S’s for you 😂 #ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia #comedy #funny #mac #dennis #British #libertybell #switchingsides #BenedictArnold #fxx #fx #philadelphia

[biographiness]

On this day in history, a king died, a city burned, and a bridge was born. Learn more about these fascinating stories and their impact on the world.🌉🔥👑

Follow for more👉 @biographiness

#Biographiness #Biograghines #TodayInHistory #TIH #onthisday #OTD #HistoryEvents #DailyHistory #History #January4 #Facts #historyfacts #historylovers #edwardtheconfessor #benedictarnold #goldengatebridge #normanconquest #americanrevolution #sanfrancisco #historynerd

[bargainsleuthbooks]

God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man by Jack Kelly #ARCReview #BookReview #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #RevolutionaryWar

Many people grew up knowing #BenedictArnold was a #traitor from the #RevolutionaryWar, but the reasons for his treachery have been mostly forgotten. #GodSaveBenedictArnold by Jack Kelly #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #ARCReview #BookReview #AmericanHistory

Benedict Arnold committed treason— for more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him. Yet Arnold was much more than a turncoat—his achievements during the early years of the Revolutionary War defined him as the most successful soldier of the era. God Save Benedict Arnold tells the gripping story of Arnold’s rush of audacious feats—his capture of Fort Ticonderoga,…

[humanismtoday]

If the US Army is going to name military bases after treasonous generals who FOUGHT AGAINST the US military during the Civil War, at least one after Benedict Arnold. At least, unlike some, fought at one time for the U.S. Military

[ifeelsixfeettall]

Ah, so I am.

[thelibertyloft]

In case you missed it: Benedict Milley – Chief of Shaft http://dlvr.it/S7nMQz

[365daysofsnark]

May 23

On May 23, 1779, Benedict Arnold, then the military governor of Philadelphia, sent a letter to the American colony's enemy, the British, asking how much they’d pay for his treasonous services. Some turncoats have their coats turned. Arnold doffed his skivvies before anyone offered him dinner.

[whencyclopedia]

John André

Major John André (1750-1780) was a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). He is best known for negotiating with the American turncoat Benedict Arnold, who offered to hand over the stronghold of West Point. The plot was exposed when André was captured behind American lines, leading to his execution as a spy.

Early Life

John André was born on 2 May 1750 in London, England, to a family of wealthy Protestant immigrants. His father, Antoine André, was a prosperous merchant originally from Geneva, Switzerland, while his mother, Marie-Louise Girardot, was French. He was the eldest of five siblings; he had three sisters, Mary Hannah (b. 1752), Anne Marguerite (b. 1753), and Louisa Catherine (b. 1754), and a brother, William Louis (b. 1760). John was initially educated at Westminster School but was eventually sent to study mathematics and military drawing at the Academy of Geneva. He excelled at academics and showed proficiency in languages; by his late teens, he was fluent in English, French, German, and Italian. Yet his true passion rested in the arts. André would spend most of his free time sketching or painting, writing poetry and short plays, and playing the flute.

André returned to London in 1767 and longed to join the British army, which he saw as a chance to see the world and break free from the middle-class life to which he felt condemned. His father, however, had other plans, and put him to work in his countinghouse, hoping that John would one day inherit the family business. André dutifully worked for his father for two years until April 1769, when Antoine André died at the age of 52. Later that year, André accompanied his mother and sisters on vacation to Buxton Spa in Derbyshire, hoping that the trip would ease their grief.

It was on this trip that André became acquainted with Anna Seward, a noted poet who ran a literary salon out of her father's lodgings in Bishop's Palace in Lichfield. Seward invited André to Lichfield, where she introduced him to her childhood friend and poetic muse, the beautiful, yet reserved, 17-year-old Honora Sneyd. Seward doted on Sneyd and described her as "fresh and beautiful as the young day-star, when he bathes his fair beams in the dews of spring" (Seward, cxvii). André was quickly smitten with the girl and would often find excuses to be in her company. Although some scholars contend that Seward had romantic feelings for Sneyd herself, she appears to have aided André in his suit, reading love poems aloud as André and Sneyd dreamily held hands.

Before long, André proposed to Sneyd, but her father disapproved of the match, viewing André as too poor; he said that he would accept their engagement only if André gave up his military ambitions and instead devoted his time to making as much money as possible. Viewing a glimmer of hope, André raced back to London and plunged diligently back to work in the countinghouse. All the while, the lovesick André wrote letters to Honora, describing how much he hated life as a merchant but tolerated it because of his love for her:

When an impertinent consciousness whispers in my ear that I am not of the right stuff for a merchant, I draw my Honora's picture from my bosom, and the sight of that dear talisman so inspirits my industry that no toil appears oppressive. (Sargent, 15)

Within a few months, Sneyd's father grew impatient and became convinced that André would never make enough money. He abruptly broke off their engagement. Distance had perhaps cooled Sneyd's feelings for André, as she did not protest too strongly and was soon being courted by other men. Heartbroken, André decided there was nothing left for him in London. After working a little longer to provide money for his family, he purchased a commission in the British Army on 4 March 1771. He was selected for special training in Germany, where he spent two years before being assigned to the Royal Fusiliers (7th Regiment of Foot) as a second lieutenant. In 1774, André was sent across the Atlantic to join his regiment in Quebec, a deployment from which he would never return.

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[whencyclopedfr]

Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) était un général de l'armée continentale pendant la guerre d'Indépendance des États-Unis (1775-1783). Il était considéré comme l'un des meilleurs officiers militaires patriotes pendant les premières années du conflit, mais il fit défection aux Britanniques en 1780 après avoir été régulièrement exclu de toute possibilité de promotion. Aujourd'hui, l'expression "Benedict Arnold" reste un terme familier pour désigner un "traître" aux États-Unis.

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[roadtripnewengland]

#Elmwood- built in 1767, this was the home of #ThomasOliver, the British Lt Governor of the Massachusetts Colony. In the days leading up to the American Revolution there was an incident know as the #PowderAlarm, following that event an angry mob of some 4,000 people gathered in front of Elmwood demanding the resignation of Oliver. He did so, and he & his wife were forced to flee back to England. The Continental Army took over the home and it served as the residence for #BenedictArnold and his men. . Later home to poet James Russell Lowell, Norwegian virtuoso violinist #OleBull and his wife would also rent the house and entertain such high society Cantabrigians as #HenryWadsworthLongfellow and #EvenNortonHorsford. Today the property is owned by Harvard University and is used as the official residence of the Harvard President #igersboston #historichomes #newenglandhistory (at Elmwood (Cambridge, Massachusetts)) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHDpsOElIow/?igshid=1ns1ttt0kek2d

[mrsxshaythamxkenway-cormac]

Wish yall a nice tuesday ♥️ enjoy the day ♥️ #reading #research #history #BenedictArnold #JohnAndre #WashingtonsSpies #washington #storytelling #Schreibwerkstatt #schreiberling #recherche https://www.instagram.com/p/CEBZPpWDeSw/?igshid=eazvj1kdmg8q

[patriotimmigrant]

"The Trump administration announced an expansion of its COVID-19 travel ban to include those seeking to enter the U.S. from Brazil.  The new Proclamation issued on Sunday, May 24, 2020, bars all non-U.S. citizens who have been physically present in Brazil during the 14-day period prior to entering or attempting to enter the United States." https://www.employmentlawworldview.com/white-house-expands-covid-19-travel-ban-to-cover-brazil-us/ #JairBolsonaro. #TrumpBarsBrazilians #Trumpkilledyourfamily #TrumpliedAmericansdied #onehunderdthousanddeadandcounting #treasonouspotus #traitor #benedictarnold #russianpuppet #putinisaputo #trumpisaputo https://www.instagram.com/p/CAoTgm-H_eH/?igshid=1bvt3u4t1cczb

[istanoneinfamoustraitor]

Liberty’s Kids (2001-02) Episode 23, “The Hessians Are Coming”

Today (Jan. 14) is Benedict Arnold’s birthday and this is my gift to the universe for the occasion.